The present novel concept broadly relates to the art of air spring suspension devices and, more particularly, to an air spring having an overhanging label and a method of assembling the same.
In known arrangements, identifying information of an air spring, such as manufacturer name, model number, serial number, batch or lot number, size characteristics and/or load capacity, for example, are provided on a surface of the air spring. In some cases, information is molded or otherwise formed into the flexible wall of the air spring. In most cases, however, it is more practical from a manufacturing perspective to label the air spring during or just after performing the assembly process. In either case, the manufacturer, part number, specifications and other details are important for the proper selection of a replacement air spring, as a repair technician will in many cases have limited details about the originally installed air spring.
One possibility for marking an air spring with information, such as that discussed above, would be to print the information directly on a flexible wall or end member of the air spring. Unfortunately, the ink that is printed on the air spring component or components tends not to be sufficiently durable to withstand the environmental conditions associated with the use of the air spring on a motor vehicle suspension. That is, the water, salt, dirt and other compounds and debris typically cause the printed characters to be absorbed, wash off, fade or become otherwise unreadable. Thus, potentially causing the repair technician to have to undertake additional and, often, time consuming efforts to determine the correct replacement part.
In an effort to overcome this problem, manufacturers have used paper or polymeric labels that are printed to include the information specific to each air spring. Often, these labels are usually more durable and easier to read than direct printing, and are often preprinted in bulk quantities. In other situations, the labels can be printed individually during the production run. In either case, a label printed with the information specific to the air spring being produced is provided and is applied to a surface of the air spring during or just after assembly. One disadvantage to such an arrangement, however, is that the flexible movement of the wall of the air spring is incompatible with the securement of such labels. That is, when a typical printed label is secured to the flexible wall of an air spring, the label tends to become inadvertently loosened from the flexible wall and can fall off or become otherwise lost.
As such, manufacturers commonly affix the label to one of the rigid end members of the air spring. Thus, the label will not become loosened due to flexing of the wall. However, the label, along with the information printed thereon, is disposed between two rigid components of the vehicle and is, thus, not visible. Therefore, the repair technician will normally have to remove the air spring that is to be replaced from its installed disposition on the vehicle before the information on the label is visible. This requires considerable time and effort, and additionally causes the associated vehicle to be out of service during this time. This can be particularly problematic where the repair technician does not have a suitable replacement part on hand or otherwise immediately available. This is because the proper replacement part will then need to be ordered and the vehicle will remain out of service during this time, increasing the cost and time required to make the repair.
In an effort to overcome this disadvantage, at least one manufacturer has developed a label that is secured along the flexible wall of the air spring, as shown in International Patent Publication No. WO 01/27905, for example. In this arrangement, the label is captured between the flexible wall and the peripheral portion of the end member, which is crimped or otherwise formed along the end of the flexible wall to form the air spring. This arrangement, however, provides potential leak paths along the transitions between the edges of the label and the flexible wall, which are, of course, disadvantageous and to be generally avoided.